Slide actuated switch
AssigneeITW Limited
InventorsMark Jonathan Banfield, Barry Voss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The switch includes a microswitch switching mechanism having a biassed plunger. The body of the switching mechanism is covered by a lid having a user-operated slider mounted thereon. Movement of the slider is confined to a track formed in the lid. A cam surface is provided on a part of the slider which is engageable with the plunger of the switching mechanism. The “over-centre” profile of the cam surface is such that movement of the slider in one direction causes the plunger to be depressed and then released. Inadvertent operation of the switch is avoided due to the cam profile.
Claims20
A slider actuated switch comprising:
- a microswitch switching mechanism including a biased plunger mounted in a body;
- a slider mounted on and co-operating with the body so that said slider is slidable backwards and forwards along the body;
- and
- a cam associated with the slider and engaging the biased plunger as the slider is moved backwards and forwards to operate the plunger and thereby actuate the microswitch switching mechanism;
- wherein the cam is profiled to provide an “over-centre” action.
A gang of slider switches, comprising a plurality of slider actuated switches, stacked next to one another, wherein
- each of said slider actuated switches comprises
- a microswitch switching mechanism including a biased plunger mounted in a body;
- a slider mounted on and co-operating with the body so that said slider is slidable backwards and forwards along the body;
- and
- a cam associated with the slider and engaging the biased plunger as the slider is moved backwards and forwards to operate the plunger and thereby actuate the microswitch switching mechanism;
- and
- each of said slider actuated switches includes two tangs so that said slider actuated switch engages walls of a surrounding mounting frame or case holding the slider actuated switches in position side-by-side.
A switch, comprising:
- a switching mechanism including a retractable plunger, said plunger having an extended position, a retracted position, and an intermediate position between said extended position and said retracted position;
- and
- an actuating element movable relative to the plunger, said actuating element having a cam surface engageable with the plunger, the cam surface having first, second and third sections with the second section being located between the first section and the third section;
- wherein the plunger assumes the extended position when the first section of said cam surface arrives at the plunger, the plunger assumes the retracted position when the second section of said cam surface arrives at the plunger, and the plunger assumes the intermediate position when the third section of said cam surface arrives at the plunger.
A gang of switches, comprising a plurality of switches stacked next to one another and a mounting frame or case in which all of the switches are mounted, wherein
- each of said switches comprises
- a switching mechanism including a biased plunger mounted in a body;
- an actuating element movable relative to said plunger and having a cam surface engageable with the biased plunger as the actuating element is moved relative to the plunger to operate the plunger and thereby actuate the switching mechanism;
- and
- a wall having an aperture spanning over the plunger, said aperture constraining and co-operating with the actuating element to control movements of said actuating element along said aperture, said aperture being open to an edge of said wall to facilitate assembly of the actuating element with the aperture;
- and
- said switches are arranged side-by-side with the slider in each of said switches being prevented from being removed from the respective aperture either by a neighboring one among said switches or by a side wall of said mounting frame or case.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.